Using smartphones and Facebook in a major assessment : the student experience

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of an alternative form of assessment employing new technology, such as smartphones and Facebook which are two modern tools that are rapidly increasing in popularity and application in the business environment. This paper adopts an experimental approach to examine whether these technologies could not only provide students with relevant skills but also increase their learning experience. Eleven out of the 12 students reported that the use of smartphones and Facebook increased their motivation, independent learning and sense of responsibility. The implications from this paper are that integrating new technologies into assessment was beneficial to students who had experience with the new technology, however, not all students were capable of using the technology and this requires further work when implementing new technology. [Author abstract]